


Misadventures in Babysitting

by onlinemuse



Category: Stargirl (TV 2020)
Genre: Babies, F/M, Fluff and Humor, Misunderstandings, Pre-Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-12
Updated: 2020-10-12
Packaged: 2021-03-08 00:33:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,574
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26962972
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/onlinemuse/pseuds/onlinemuse
Summary: “Who the fuck are you?”That probably shouldn’t have been the first thing Rick said when the Chapels’ front door swung open. But Beth was ninety percent of his impulse control and the person in front of him?Not. Her.
Relationships: Beth Chapel/Rick Tyler
Comments: 5
Kudos: 29





	Misadventures in Babysitting

_“Who the fuck are you?”_

That probably shouldn’t have been the first thing Rick said when the Chapels’ front door swung open. But Beth was ninety percent of his impulse control and the person in front of him?

_Not._ _Her_.

The guy in front of him was at least twice his age, tall and lean with a shock of dark hair swept to the side and deep green eyes, dressed for a night out in crisp clothes and a leather blazer with a well-loved wedding band glowing in the low evening light. Rick had no idea why there was suddenly a scraggly white guy in the Chapels’ house, looking very much at home there.

_He_ was only the scraggly white guy that Beth ever had over.

“Who am I?”

It was unnerving seeing the exact same sardonic grin that Rick gave others on someone else’s face, the dimple in the guy’s left cheek mirroring his own.

“Who the fuck are _you?_ No seriously, why are you even here?” The guy peered at him before his eyes glinted in amusement. “Oh, you must be the Rick my wife’s baby cousin talks about all the time. You’re here to see sunshine, right?”

Rick was this close to throwing the container of churro lava cakes he brought for Beth in the older man’s face and shoving him aside to look for her because _who the fu—_

“Quentin, who’s at the door?” A sweet, familiar voice called out before said girl peeked out from behind the older man.

The combative spark in Rick’s eyes softened upon seeing Beth. She looked ready for a cozy night in a yellow knit sweater dress and strawberry tights, the deep v of her dress showing off the gold rotating hourglass necklace he gave her for her sixteenth birthday.

“Rick, you’re early!” She beamed the second she saw him, the way her eyes formed happy little half-moons made him smile back at her. “Don’t stay out in the cold, come in. Oh, those look amazing!”

But he froze the second he stepped into the front hall, barely registering how Beth was eagerly peeking into the container he was holding.

Because there cradled lovingly in Beth’s arms was a _baby_ in a tiny white and yellow onesie.

The baby had a headful of cloudlike dark curls and adorable chubby cheeks, her brown skin a few shades lighter than Beth’s. She was gurgling happily as she looked up at him with big brown eyes, interested in who this big new person was.

Okay, the kid was actually pretty freaking cute, but all logic flew out the window because Rick had _seen_ Beth’s baby pictures. He had peeked over the girls’ shoulders as they made their way through all the Beth Chapel childhood albums and now Court and Artemis would never let him live it down.

_And the little girl looked just like her._

“Since when did you have a baby?”

He didn’t realize just what he said until the annoying guy beside them threw his head back, crowing with laughter as Beth shot Rick an incredulous look.

“You’ve seen me every day at school since seventh grade,” she squeaked, her voice high pitched with horror. “When did I even _look_ pregnant to you?”

He couldn’t help but flush, his cheeks and ears bright red with embarrassment before a peal of hysterical laughter brought in an older woman, who swatted the suddenly docile older man’s shoulder with a _Quentin, behave_.

The woman was slightly taller than Beth with glowing brown skin and her hair in long twist braids, the skirt of her green vintage dress swinging with her as the man pulled her in for a kiss to her temple and Rick caught a glimpse of a pearl wedding ring.

She also bore a startling resemblance to Beth and the baby. He had wondered how Beth didn’t look much like either of her parents, but now he had the answer to that.

The woman had a knowing smile on her face as she playfully ruffled Beth’s hair, a move that oddly reminded Rick of whenever Courtney would do the same to him.

“Did someone mistake you for her mom again? That’s good news for great-aunt Beatie, grandma Bernie owes her sixty now.”

“Delly, _no!_ ” Beth whined, cuddling the baby closer as if she was shielding her. “You know what they’re like when they start betting, don’t encourage them.”

“They’re old, let them have their fun.”

The older woman turned to Rick and his spine unconsciously straightened as she looked him over. He could tell that she was someone important to Beth, who was bouncing on her feet as she introduced him to the older woman. That hopeful spark in his best friend’s eyes only ever meant one thing.

_She wanted her to approve of him._

“And just for the record,” a catlike smile curled up on the woman’s face, “the only reason Bethie has a baby with her is because it’s date night and she’s babysitting.”

Rick raised an eyebrow at Beth, his eyes brimming with mischief as he mouthed _‘Bethie?’_ at her, a huff of laughter escaping him as he let her swat his arm.

“Rick, this is my cousin Delphine,” Beth rolled her eyes playfully as her cousin started laughing. “And the one who answered the door is her husband, Quentin. Eli’s _their_ baby, not mine.”

It wasn’t long before Delphine was hugging Beth and the baby goodbye after a brief babysitting spiel _(“I know you’re responsible, Bethie, just text us if you need anything!”)_ before heading out the door, Quentin hanging behind for a second to kiss his daughter goodbye.

“And sunshine, before I forget—”

“Don’t worry, I know,” Beth cut in, gently holding the little girl’s chubby fist when she tried to grab at her hourglass necklace.

“Don’t interrupt your date unless someone’s sick or dying or you’ll call up Court, Yolanda, and Artemis and spill all my embarrassing childhood stories.”

“What? No, I would never,” he denied with a wrinkle of his nose. “I was just going to tell you to text us if this one tries to do anything.”

He jerked his thumb at Rick, the flit of a smile on his face turning sly and it was enough for Rick to raise his hackles. “He looks big enough to eat babies. Or you for that matter.”

“ _Quentin!_ ”

“Have a good night, Eli, daddy loves youuu!” Quentin grinned mischievously as he called out over his shoulder, ignoring Beth’s sputtering as he ran off to join his wife.

He couldn’t have been the only one thinking that sunshine and her grumpy friend were a dead ringer for him and Delphine at that age, right? 

_History had a strange way of repeating itself._

* * *

“I thought your parents were only children,” Rick whispered to Beth after they had settled on the couch.

He absently stroked her back, his eyes crinkling at the corners at the sight of her making silly faces at the baby in her arms, who never failed to burst into sweet hiccupping giggles. Just when he thought she couldn’t surprise him any further, she’d reveal another facet of herself that he wanted to explore to his heart’s content.

  
  
“Oh, they are,” Beth quipped as she rested her head on his shoulder. “Delly and I are second cousins if you wanna get technical. Our grandmothers are sisters.”

A coo interrupted them, and Rick looked down to see the little girl looking up at him with big, curious eyes, reaching out to him with a tiny starlike hand. He couldn’t stop his mouth from curving into a soft, fond smile as he let her grasp his finger, her grip surprisingly strong for someone so little.

_He couldn’t stop himself from thinking that if Beth had a baby one day, they would look just this little bean sprout._

“I never did get her name.”

“Eliana.” Beth snuggled closer as he wrapped his arm around her waist. “Delly couldn’t decide between Elizabeth for me or Briana for our great-grandmother so Quentin ended up splitting the difference. We call her Eli for short.”

“They wanted to name her after you?”

“Yeah,” Her smile was bright and silly as she reminisced. “Quentin said that I was the reason they even got together in the first place. He swears they’d still be dancing around each other if I hadn’t meddled. I was even Delly’s maid of honour at their wedding.”

“’m glad that someone in your family appreciates you at least,” he mumbled. And if his heart skipped a beat when she flashed him a blinding grin, no one would know but him.

“So,” Beth’s smile took on a teasing edge, “What was that you said about me having a baby again?”

She squealed when he trapped her in his arms with a giggling Eli nestled between them, failing to squirm away as he blew raspberries against her neck.

“Okay, I admit it was a stupid thought,” he groaned into the curve between her neck and shoulder. “But Eli looks exactly like you, I thought it made sense at the time.”

Beth hummed thoughtfully, looking back and forth between him and Eli.

“By that logic, I would’ve gotten pregnant based on who interacted with me the most,” her tone was airy, but her eyes were sparkling.

“That’d make _you_ the father then.”

The sound of Rick choking on air had her laughing the rest of the night.

**Author's Note:**

> I still maintain that having Rick go "who the fuck are you" is a hilarious way to start things off and you can never go wrong with Hournite and babies. 
> 
> Not quite Hournite babies yet, but maybe in the future.


End file.
